I joined Powerhouse Gym of Westland three weeks ago and have been going consistently since then. While I have not lost a lot of weight, I have seen improvement in the tone of my muscles, particularly the muscles of my torso. Some of the best gyms in Naples Florida have special machines for training these type of muscles. This is the first gym membership I have ever had, and I really didn’t know much about ‘gym culture’. Now that I’m three weeks in, I’ve learned a few things that it would be wise to purchase once you commit to a gym membership.
- A gym bag. While this might seem obvious, special care should be given to the type of gym bag that you get. First of all, it needs to be pretty small. Big gym bags just won’t fit in the lockers. Next, it should have several compartments. Why? At the minimum, you should have two so that you can put your sweaty gym clothes in one and not stink up whatever is in the other. Other compartments can hold things such as drinks, reading material, deodorants, etc.
- A towel. Wiping your sweaty forehead or hands with your shirt just doesn’t cut it at the gym. For one thing, your shirt is probably already sweaty, so you’re not really getting any dryer; you’re just spreading the sweat around. It doesn’t have to be a great towel. In fact, it can just be some old rag.
- A back brace. Not everybody will need this device, but I have a rather long torso, so my lower back ends up doing a lot of bending and twisting even when I’m just jogging on the elliptical trainer. You can find leather ones like weightlifters wear, but they are a bit expensive. I found a cheaper one that is a rubber/spandex creation that has a Velcro closure and does the job admirably. If you find yourself having back pain after your workout, you should definitely get one of these.
- A headband. I know that I look like a dork when I wear my headband, but it really helps keep the sweat out of my eyes. Along with a towel, a headband can help keep you from sweating all over the gym equipment. And besides, truth be told I kind of am a dork.
- A heart rate monitor. I have yet to get one of these things, but it is next on my list. A few of the machines at the gym have special bars that you can hold that monitor your heart rate as you exercise, but the majority don’t. A heart rate monitor (that you wear on your wrist like a watch) is an excellent way to make sure you don’t overdo or waste your time by not getting your heart up to an ideal rate.
I really like my gym. The people there are all nice, and it’s a lot of fun to go there and workout. So if you are at the Westland Powerhouse Gym and see some guy with glasses, a goofy headband, and a back brace, it’s probably yours truly.
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